Apparatus for handling express matter, &amp;c.



.No. 2394;452. y PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

A 0; M.'MEDAIRY. APPARATUS FOR HANDLING EXPRESS MATTER, &o..

APPLIOATIONIILED 11.22, 1905.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

S555 R 7 INVENTOR PATENTED JULY 28, 1908.

0. M. MEDAIRYL F APPARATUS FOR H ANDLING EXPRESS MATTER, 8w.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.2Z,1908.

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INVENTOR WITNESSES omatnsn. MEDAIRY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

nrrana'rus For. nannnnio EXPRESS mama, ac.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, CHAnLEs M. ME-

DAIRY, of New York city, inthe county of New York and State of New York, ha'veinvented certain new and useful Improvements-in Apparatusfor Handling E v Matter, &c.; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descri tion of the invention, such as will enab e others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. My invention relates to a paratus for handling express-matter, fre if t, etc.,-the object of the invention being to rovide imroved means for facilitating the handling of eight etc., in transferring the same to and from railway cars.

-A further object is to construct the:appa-.

ratus in such manner that a number of boxes or packages can be quickly transferred from a truck, such ascommonly used in 'de 'ots and warehouses, to a railway car and t en quickly deposited therein.

A further object is to provide ap 'aratus of the character described which can quickly loaded with boxes or packages to be transferred and from which the entire load can be discharged at a single operation.

A further object is to improve apparatus for handling express-matter, freight and mailmatter, in various matters of detail to render the same eflicient-in the performance of all the functions'which may be required of it andto effectually withstand such rough usage to WhlGh it may bc'subjected.

With these objects in. 'ew the invention consists inrvarious novel features -of construction and combinations of-cooperating parts as hereinafter described and particuarly s ecified in the claims, 7

In t e accompanyin drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a freigh embodying my improvements. ig. .2 is an end view, partly in'seetionf F 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 1s adetail view of the transfer-carrier, and Figs. '5 and 6 are views .il-lustrating; modifications of said carrier.

1 represents a rectangular frame rovided at its corners with brackets 2 in w 'ch the journals of wheels 3 are mounted,the whole thus constituting a truck frame.

Atraveling crane' 4 is supported by the truck 1 and comprises alower frame 5 constructedwith arms 6 having the journals ofxpress other suitable means for tu t handlin apparatus I Patented ul 2a. 1908;

4 wheels 7 mounted therein'and these wheels are intended to travel between rails 8, 8, of the'truck-frame. The lower frame 5 of the crane is also rovided. with depending arms 9 in which a s aft 10 is mounted. This shaft carries a pinion 1 1 whichmeshes with a rackbar 12 constituting a part; of the truck-frame 1.. A handle or other suitable operating dethe same and thus causing crane to-be moved,

vice -13'is secured to'the shaft 11 for rotating through the medium of the rack and pinion above described. The side members of the which the lower portions of standards 15 telescope. These standards constitute-parts frame 5 consists of tubular'posts 14 into of the upper frame of the crane and are connected-by a cross-bar 16 and suitable braces 17 extend from the central portion of the cross-bar 16 to the respective standards 15.

To the upper ends of the standards 15, the

horizonta arms 18 of the crane are secured and these arms are maintained rigid by means of braces 19 secured thereto and to the standards '15.. A cross-bar 20 connects the arms 18, at their outer ends, and to this cross-bar books 21 are movably connected and adapted to receive and support a transfer-carrier 22 ,the details of construction of which will be hereinafter fully described.

The cross-bar 23 of the lower crane frame 5 18 provided with an internally threaded boss 24 'through whicha vertically disposed screw 25 passes. The upper end of this screw has a swivel connection with the crossbar 16 of the upper crane frame and'between its ends said screw is provided with a fixed wheel 26 or it. From this'construction, it is apparent that the upper crane frame can be raised or lowered by turning the screw 26.

,When a transfer-carrier-22 has been loaded and suspended from the crane the truck 1 can be movedin front of a car door and the screw 25turned to elevate the up er crane-frame until the base of the trans er-carrler is aproximately in alinement with the car-floor. The transfer-carrier can now be detached from the crane and run through the 'car door 1 to a position in the car where it may be desired to deposit the contents of said transfer-carrier; The contents of a car maybe transferred, from the latter to a latform or to trucks thereon. In such case t e transfercarrier 22 will be loaded while in the car and then run to the car'door and attached to the crane. The crane may now be run back on" posited.

"projects.

" forations and the- It now remains to describe the details of construction of the transfer-carrier. This carrier comprises two openwork or slatted sides 27, 27 connected at their upper ends by cross-bars 28. These cross-bars each comprises two members movably connected together,-one member of each cross-bar being provided with an elongated slot 29 throughwhich a pin from the other eross-bar member The two sides of the transfer-carrier are thus adjustably as well as ivotally connected together, the outer en s of the members of the cross-bars 28 being pivotally attached to the sides 27 of said carrier. Each side member [of the transfer-carrier is provided at its lower end with'aninwardly rojecting bracket 30-and the brackets 30 o the two members of the carrier constitute a bottom for the latter on, which the boxes or packages will be supported. The transfercarrier is also provided with wheels 31 to facilitate its movements when detached from the crane. A bar 32 is pivotally attached at one end to one of the side members of the carrier and is detachably connected with the other member when the carrier is loaded, by means of a suitable pin passed through a hole in the bar and socket in'the carrier frame. Itwill be observed that by connecting the members of the carrier adjustably, said members can be moved relatively to each other to accommodate loads of different transverse dimensions. is therefore made of sufficient length to project some distance beyond the side of the carrier with which it is removably connected.v

In some cases the projecting end of the bar 32 may interfere with the passage of the carrier through the doorway of a" car and I therefore provide the bar 32 with a number of perforations 33 and a side member of thecarrier with a similar number of perforations 34 so that said bar can be dis osed in an inclined position and connecte by a suitable pin passing through one of each series of erortionof the bar w 'ch projects from the side of the carrier reduced to a minimum..

When it is desired to unload a carrier the operator will first release the bar 32 and then y means of handles 35 attached to the carrier members) pull said carrier members apart so that they will turn on their pivotal connections with the upper cross-bar 28 and the hooks 21.

The bar 32 assume the positions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, when, as will be readily understood the load will be de osited.

To form a suitahle means for connecting the transfer-carrier with the hooks 21 of the crane, each side member of the carrier will be provided with a series of connected rings or 'nks 36,'any of which can be connected with The provision of several connected rings or links 36 facilitate the con nection of the transfer-carrier with the crane when the latform on which said carrier may be loaded 1s lower than will enable the hooks 21 of the craneto reach a single ring on the carrier when the crane is in its lowest position.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6the brackets 30 are [displaced by series of pivoted arms 37. One series of such arms phave pivotal connection with each side member of the carrier and are connected by plates or platforms 38. The supporting rackets thus formed are maintained 1n horizontal position to support the load, by means of chains 39 connected at their upper ends with the carrier members and removably attached at their lower ends to the hinged-platforms.

' Various other changes might be made in the details of construction of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting its scope and hence I-do not wish to restrict myself to the precise details herein set forth.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent, is,-

1. The combination with a traveling frame, of'a crane supported thereon and com rising two members, one adjustable vertical y with relation to the other, and means for raising and lowering the vertically adjustable member of the crane. v 4

2. The combination with a traveling frame, of a crane mounted to travel on said frame in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the traveling crane, and means for increasing and decreasing the height of said crane.

3. The combination with a traveling frame, of a crane mounted to travel on said frame; means for raising and lowering the upper portion of said crane and retaining the same in different vertical adjustments,

and means for removabl attaching a carrier to the vertically mova le portion of said crane. l

4. The combination with,a frame, of a crane comprising a lower ortion mounted to travel on said frame an an upper portion vertically adjustable relatively to the lower portion, and means for raising or lowering the upper portion of the crane and retaining the same at any desired vertical adjustment.

5. The combination with a frame and a said frame and comprising a lower portion having tubular uprig ts and an upper vertically adjustable portion having standards movable in said tubular uprights; a screw having threaded connection with one portion of the crane and having swivel connection with the other o'rtion of the crane, means for turning sai screw and a transfer carrier removably supported by the upper vertically adjustable portion of the crane.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, the, combination with a traveling frame, a support mounted to travel on said frame and comprising two members, one adjustable relatively to the other, and means for raisin and lowering the. adjustable member 0 the sup ort, of a portable transfer-carrier detacha ly connected with the adjustable member of the support.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a traveling frame, and a support mounted to travel longitudinallyv on said travelingv frame, of a transfer-carrier comprising two members pivotally connected together, means for locking said members against movement relatively to each other, and means for detachably connecting said transfer-carrier to the traveling support over the traveling frame.

40 frame, and a support mounted to travel lon-.

'9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a traveling gitudinally thereon, of a ortable transfercan'ier' com rising pivote members movable relatlve y to each other in opposite directions to release a load from between them, a handle secured to each member of said transfercarrier, and means for attaching said transfer carrier to the traveling support over the traveling frame.

10. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a traveling support, a.

transfer carrler comprising two pivoted members, adjustable means connecting said members, means for locking said members against movement when the carrier is loaded and means for connecting said transfer-carrier with the traveling support.

11. An apparatus of t e character described, comprising. a traveling support, a portable carrier comprising two members, cross-bars having pivotal connection with the members of the carrier, each cross-bar comprising two members adjustably connected together so as to be mov,able lengthwise with relation to each other, a locking bar pivotally connected with one of the carrier members, means for adjustably connecting said bar with the other carrier member, and means for attaching said carrier to the travcling support.

12. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a traveling support, a portable carrier comprising two members, means for adjusting said members relatively to each other, means for normally locking said members against relative movement, brackets rojecting inwardly from the lower ends of t e respective members and cooperating to support a load between said members, andmeans for connecting the carrier with the traveling support.

Intestimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. CHARLES M. MEDAIRY.

Witnesses:

-- H. E. Coon,

SAM L. LING, Jr. 

